This invention relates to machines for assembling terminals to electrical components, and especially electric motor components such as stators. More particularly, this invention relates to machines for arranging terminals for assembly onto electric motor stators.
With certain electrical components, and particularly wound electric motor components such as stators, it is necessary to apply a plurality of terminals to the component. In the case of a stator, for example, at least two terminals, for terminating at least two ends of a single winding, must be applied to the end of the stator or to a terminal board attached to the end of the stator. For stators with multiple windings, such as those for use in multi-speed motors, the number of terminals is correspondingly multiplied.
In addition, terminals are usually provided interconnected in strip form and are cut apart by the terminal applying apparatus. Thus the terminals are generally arranged linearly in the apparatus, reflecting their linear configuration before they are cut apart. However, the arrangement of the terminals on the electrical component is not necessarily linear. For example, a stator has a substantially annular end face. While it may be possible to arrange the terminals linearly on one side of the end face, or possibly on two parallel sides, as the number of terminals increases, it becomes more likely that a nonlinear arrangement of terminals will be required.
It has not heretofore been easy to apply terminals in nonlinear arrangements. Most known terminal applying machines fed one or two strips of terminals, allowing for one or two parallel rows of terminals in the final arrangement. In another known machine for applying terminals around the annular end face of a stator, the stator was held in a rotating arbor that was indexed to a new position after each terminal was applied. This added significantly to the time required to apply terminals to a stator, especially as compared to previously known machines for applying linear arrangements of terminals, in which all of the terminals could be driven into position at once.
In other known systems, the various terminals were positioned and oriented by a complicated lever system. However, the number of terminals that could be accommodated in such apparatus was limited, because the lever system became too complex if too many terminals were involved. In addition, such lever systems are generally too complex to allow adjustment of a single system for different arrangements of terminals.
It would be desirable to be able to provide apparatus for applying a plurality of terminals to an electrical component, such as a stator, particularly in nonlinear arrangements.
It would also be desirable to be able to provide such apparatus which could accommodate a plurality of arrangements of terminals.